The Crystals of Hiraj
by Nicholas Parker
Summary: Nicholas and Holly Parker embark on an epic adventure with their friends, Jeffrey Weasley and Emily Potter, involving a strange cult, many prophecies, and mystical and elemental crystals...
1. Prologue: Wizard school

A/N: This is a prolgue I just wrote. It's an introduction to the kids in preschool. Crystals of Hiraj: Prologue 

Sasha Malfoy and Emily Potter were arguing again.  
It wasn't their fault, really. It just was that their families were declared enemies. And also that they were dedicated to uphold their family's honor. And to being stubborn.It had started with a small magical top. Emily had gotten it for her birthday, May 30th, and had had the bad notion of showing it off to the class. Of course, Sasha had immediately gotten out _her_ birthday present (March 26), a pocket-sized animated wooden horse, and had bragged about how her family could give her better presents. Most of the preschool class was now gathered around them to hear about how the Potters had a better chimney or how the Malfoys had a gigantic front hall. Nicholas's sister, Holly Parker, was shaking her head and sighing as she tried to negotiate between the two. Holly was always trying to settle their fights though mediation, but Nicholas had realized long ago that nothing would stop those two from arguing short of a miracle. It would truly be a miracle if they stopped. Every time this happened, the class was split in two. Everyone except Holly and him had a preference for one or the other family, and the classroom became a battlefield between two fiercely loyal armies.  
At Emily's right side stood Jeffrey Weasley, her best friend, his carrot-red head highest among the soldiers. At her left was Jessica Holmer, an outspoken girl whose blond braids quivered in anticipation of the battlefield. Jessica, like most of the children on Emily's side of the room, sided with her more for her father than for Emily herself. Harry Potter had saved the world from Voldemort, and that alone caused fervent devotion among the children. None of them had been born anytime close to the Great War, but stories of chaos and horrid killings from their parents had instilled that devotion, as well as quasi-direct orders from their parents to obey the Potter lineage.  
Emily's major followers, apart from Jessica and Jeffrey, were all lined up in her second row. Joshua Gregory, Jason Varney, Madison Spencer, and Kimberley Johanssen. All standing as tall as they could, protecting their "honor".  
On Sasha's side of the battlefield, there were all those whose parents had not wanted Voldemort's demise, those who had actively or passively supported him. Of course, that was not said, and all surviving Death Eaters had been pardoned to ensure general peace, but Voldemort supporters and Harry Potter allies faced each other with great hate.  
Sasha was flanked by golden-haired Alexandria Mettauer and forest-eyed Timothy Vallerino. Directly behind her hovered Olga Afzal, Evan Darner, Arianna Ponteri, and Luke Bezell. The others packed in between them and the wall didn't matter. Those were the ones Sasha trusted the most, the ones that would most probably follow her into Slytherin when they finally got to Hogwarts.  
Nicholas looked at Emily's followers, then at Sasha's. The only ones not on either side, apart from Holly and him, were Sasha's sister Sofia and her crowd. Sofia never took part in these fights. She never took part in anything. She silently considered herself queen of the classroom, and would sit in a corner and paint pictures of world domination while her crowd all watched her. She was the strangest person Nicholas had ever seen. Sasha's anger, Emily's stubbornness, and even Jessica's devotion could not measure up to Sofia's quiet rulership. Her icy blue-gray eyes observed the room as the anger between the two camps bristled, but she seemed not to notice that her sister had gotten into a fight again and turned back to her paints. Around her, Mortimer Isawry, Sadarta Jackson, Hansen and Igor Mikelevitch, Jenna Wegnestein, and Maureen Brackelhurst were sitting, staring at her to see if she wanted anything. It was rather disgusting, the way they served her like slaves. But her eyes and manner demanded it. She was a real Malfoy, more that Sasha ever could be.  
Nicholas felt someone else was missing. Lauren Amincy and Abigail Bahlyn were not in the classroom. The two friends usually didn't side with either side of the many  
Emily-Sasha conflicts, mostly for embarrassment of their parents not choosing a side in  
the war and staying hidden in the Alps during the fighting. If they were not in the classroom, they must be  
"The teacher's coming!" Shouted Nicholas.  
All of a sudden, everyone was in their seat. Ms. Ginny Weasley came in, followed by Lauren and Abigail, to a room of smiling preschoolers seated at tables. Sasha and Emily were busy drawing a house, and the top and the horse lay forgotten on the floor in the center of the room.


	2. The Owl

A/N: This story used to be on my co-writer's account (Destiny Elizabeth Weasley). We realized that it was really badly written, so we rewrote it completely.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of JKRowlings names or settings or idea or ect.

Chapter 1- The Isle of Drear

Nicholas Parker opened his eyes. Nope, there wasn't a vicious Quintaped over him just about to eat him. Not that there would be, with all the protections on the house. Nicholas got dressed and walked out the door trying not to wake his twin sister, Holly.

            The isle of Drear, where his family had lived for six years, was well named. Nicholas shivered as he pulled on his maroon sweater. Every morning a freezing wind would flow across the island, chasing away any birds that had thought it a good place to live. The wind usually brought the owls with their food packages, and it was Nicholas's job to watch for them. He also watched for something more important: the owl bearing their invitations to Hogwarts. It was early August now, and the owl still hadn't come.

            The walk from the house to the coast along the protected pathway was long, and Nicholas had nothing to do, so he pulled out the wand his dad had given him for his eleventh birthday. It was made of oak wood that was a little burnt from all the times he had tried to create fire with it, and inside was a piece of a scale from the Chinese Fireball that his dad had to take care of when he was young.

            Nicholas took a deep breath and tried once again to do the only spell that had been found to repel Quintapeds, apart from the Patronus Charm.

            "_Aquacali!_" Steam started pouring out of Nicholas's wand. He sighed. He never seemed to get it right. Each and every time he tried the spell, steam came instead of boiling water. It was like when he used the Lumos Charm; his wand caught on fire and the fire spread to his clothes before anybody could put it out. Luckily, the fire didn't hurt him at all, but it was maddening not being able to do the simplest spells. His parents continuously told him he was doing well, that it took months of practice to master your first charms, but he felt weak nonetheless. Holly's Lumos Charm created a small, glowing ball of water, not uncontrollable fire. And she had managed multiple times to complete the Boiling Water Spell. Sure, her water maybe was a little too cold, but it wasn't steam!

            Finally, he was at the shore. Nicholas looked out at the sea. No owls. He started turning back disappointedly, when he saw something. It was coming from the Southwest, so it couldn't be a food owl. There was only one other source for an owl at that time of year…

            Nicholas ran back to the house shouting,

            "The Hogwarts owl is here!"

A/N: This chapter was really short, but the later chapters get longer for sure.


	3. The Potter House

Emily opened her eyes groggily. She rolled over and looked at the clock. 8 o'clock. Still too early for an August morning. She rolled back over and tried to go back to sleep. In the hall outside her bedroom, her older sisters, Elise and Nina, were yelling about something to her oldest sister Rachel. Her other sister, Anna, was, apparently, not up yet or she would have been arguing as well.

It didn't take very long before she heard her mother climbing up the stairs and, two minutes later, the girls had stopped yelling. But now, sleep was forgotten. Emily sighed and got out of bed. It was a typical morning. Her house was never quiet; not with seven kids around. Of course, Peter no longer lived with them. He had finished Hogwarts and was now working in the International Cooperation Office in the Ministry of Magic. He was highly important and had his own flat in London.

As for her sisters, she only saw them when they were on holidays. Rachel and Allison, the eldest, were out of Hogwarts, but Rachel lived in Oxford and Allison in Liverpool. Anna, Elise, and Nina were still in school. This would be Anna's last year at Hogwarts and Emily's first. Emily had gotten her letter only the day before (after days of worrying) and the family had celebrated. Rachel and Allison had flooed in and they had had a small party. Peter, however, could not make it to the party, though he did owl his congratulations.

Emily walked to her desk and picked up the letter. She read it once more to make sure it hadn't just been a dream:

_Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall _

_ Dear Miss Potter,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted __Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first _

_Yours Sincerely,___

_Helga Von Struddle._

_(Deputy Headmistress)_

No it hadn't been a dream. It was all very real. She placed the letter back on her desk and walked out of her room. Apparently her sisters _had_ been arguing as now the doors to their rooms had been locked shut. Only Anna's door was still ajar. Walking downstairs to breakfast, Emily noticed the source of the fight. It was silly really. Emily picked up Rachel's letter and smoothed it out. It was an acceptance letter to the Salem Institute located in Salem, Oregon, USA. It had been the greatest cause for fights among the Potter household. Rachel was pleased to have been accepted. Extatic even. But Nina and Elise were appalled that she would accept to leave England to go to America. They claimed that there were perfectly fine universities in England and that they didn't see _why_ she had to "desert her family and deny her roots". Emily suspected that they were just jealous not to be able to visit America. She placed the letter on the kitchen table and grabbed an apple from the refrigerator.

"Mum, tell Elise to keep out of my room!"

"I was NOT in her room! She stole my hairbrush and I was looking for it out in the HALL!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

Elise and Nina stormed into the kitchen looking for their mother.

"Mum's not here, numbskulls," Emily yawned. She was not a morning person.

"Fine, doofus," Elise retorted. Elise and Emily were the closest in age and they were often down each other's throats.

"Don't call her a doofus, Elise. And don't call Elise and Nina numbskulls, Emmy," said a voice from the doorway. Mrs. Parvati Potter walked into the kitchen and the three girls quieted.

"Why aren't you dressed, girls? We're leaving for Diagon Alley with the Weasleys in ten minutes!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed as she walked over to the kitchen table and looked over the mail.

"Well, you see, Nina stole my hairbrush and I can't get ready" Elise sighed.

"Yeah well, Elise stole my jeans!" Nina added.

"Well Elise and Nina stole my Salem letter!" said Rachel as she walked into the kitchen, fully dressed and ready.

"Well, Rachel snored last night and I barely got any sleep," yelled Allison from upstairs.

"Well they all woke me up!" yelled Anna and Emily at the same time.

Mrs. Potter shook her head in resignation. She should have been used to it by now, but she found it hard to stay impartial with her daughters.

"Ok, I don't care who did what, but I want you all down here dressed, combed, and ready with your teeth brushed in ten minutes! NOW GO!" she exclaimed pointing to the door of the kitchen. All the girls ran out of the kitchen, pushing each other out of the way.

Emily walked back up to her room and pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue spaghetti-strap. She slipped her feet into her yellow flip flops and made a dash to the bathroom she shared with Elise, Nina, and Anna. Unfortunately, Elise had made it there first so it was another five minute wait.

Once the bathroom was free, she quickly brushed her teeth and combed her hair and put a swipe of lipgloss on before rushing out, being threatened by Nina (who still hadn't gotten to use the bathroom).

But ten minutes later, everyone was ready and downstairs, ready to floo to the Weasleys.


	4. Malfoy Manor

A/N: Remember to review!

Chapter 3- Malfoy Manor

Sasha Elena Malfoy slammed the book shut. She couldn't believe the things her family had done to house-elves! She had just read about how her great-grandfather, Neptune Malfoy, had wrapped his house-elf in dirty socks filled with rocks and then thrown him in the deep lake east of Malfoy Manor. The elf had died, of course. Then she read about her Great-Aunt Cassiopeia had systematically killed all her house-elves when she burnt a hole through her tongue with some acid tea. No wonder everyone had looked at her strangely when she had joined the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!

Sasha's twin sister Sofia was smiling at her from across the library. Sofia was always smiling at her for something. _She _had known about their family's torture of house-elves; Sasha was sure of it. Sofia had probably "forgotten" about telling her. She probably wanted to see the look on Sasha's when she found out. Sasha was furious. She wanted to throw something at Sofia. Maybe the horrible book about her family's history. Sasha smiled at the thought. It would be satisfying to see her twin's face as she got knocked out by her favorite night reading.

Unfortunately, that act would just bring Sasha more essays assigned by her mother about the family history. The one she was writing now was punishment for having fed Sofia's obnoxious owl, Hawkbeak, a chocolate frog. The owl had then coughed up the remains of the candy on Sofia while she was busy cleaning his cage. Their mother had discovered Sasha's role in the event and had assigned her the essay.

"SASHA! COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" It was her mother, Marie Leski-Malfoy.

"Yes, Mother," said Sasha resignedly. She trudged out of the library, down the hall, and down the stairs to the master bedroom, where her mother waited for her.

"Sasha, we're going to Diagon Alley in half an hour. I want you to make all the beds in the house, then get ready to leave. You better make the beds well, and don't wear any vulgar clothing. Now, get out of my sight!"

"Is father coming?"

"Yes, he is. Now go!"

Sasha walked to the bed and started making it while her mother left to tell Sofia. Too bad their father wasn't here more often. Draco Malfoy didn't exactly appreciate her un-Malfoyness, but he didn't hate her like her mother did. She never did the chores when he was in the house. He believed that no Malfoy could ever be bad enough to do the chores. When her father was home, the house-elf who cooked their meals made the beds and cleaned the house, not Sasha.

Unfortunately, Sasha's father was almost never home. He was head of the Department of Magical Transportation, and almost lived at the Ministry. He worked day and night overseeing his underlings. Sasha suspected that he didn't really need to oversee everything and was only trying to escape his wife.

Sasha finished making the beds and went to her room to get ready to leave. She pulled on her robes and sat on her bed, brushing her hair. Her eyes strayed to the letter sitting on the bedside table. She picked it up and read it one more time:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 

_Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall _

_ Dear Miss Malfoy,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to __Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_ Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first _

_Yours Sincerely,___

_Helga Von Struddle._

_(Deputy Headmistress)_

The Hogwarts letter had only come yesterday, and already Sasha was yearning to go there. At Hogwarts she would be away from her mother, and she could avoid Sophia. Sasha hoped she wouldn't be in the same house as her twin. Living in the same room as her and others sharing her views would be a nightmare. Sophia was obviously going to be in Slytherin, so Sasha considered the other houses. Hufflepuff was out of the question, and her family would only hate her more if she were in Gryffindor. She wasn't brave enough, anyway. Ravenclaw…Ravenclaw sounded good. She could fit in in Ravenclaw.

"SASHA! We're leaving now!"

She sighed and trudged towards the fireplace.

A/N: By the way, I am writing all the odd-numbered chapters, and my co-writer is doing all the even-numbered chapters. Can you tell the difference?


	5. Weasley Mayhem

Chapter 4-The Weasley Place 

            "Jeffrey Michael Weasley, you get your behind out of bed and down here this instant!" Jeffrey heard his mother yelling as he fell off his broom. The Quidditch Cup would have been his! If only his mother had left him a few more minutes of sleep.

            "Mmmgh," replied Jeffrey as he threw the covers above his head and shoved his pillow over his ears. He was just drifting back to sleep when his mattress started shaking. Thinking it was an earthquake or an explosion of some sort, he quickly got out of his quilted burrow and sat up. As a matter of fact, it was an explosion. Well, sort of. He categorized his youngest sister, Kayla Isabelle Weasley as explosive. Short for her five years, she bounced around the house like a blond haired supernova, destroying the peace and quiet and pulverizing sleep. Jeffrey strongly believed that this was her sole mission in life. And right now, she was taking out her excess energy on his bed.

            "Kayla! Geroff my bed!" Jeffrey grumbled. He threw his pillow at her and missed horrendously. She was already out the door by the time he had reached for his weapon of choice.

            "Jeffrey Weasley, have you finally decided to grace us with your presence?" his mother said sarcastically, as she leaned against the frame of his door. She walked in and started straightening up the papers on his desk and picking up his clothes off the floor.

            "Jeff, we have to be ready in fifteen minutes. The Potters are coming over so we can all buy your school supplies together," she said as she stacked up his Quidditch magazines in a pile by his desk.

            "In other words, get out of bed!" she exclaimed as she grabbed his bedsheets and forced him out of bed.

            "Okay, okay, I'm up! No need to shout," Jeffrey muttered as he walked to his closet and picked out a pair of cargo pants and a blue shirt. Blue was one of the only colors that didn't clash with his red hair. He was the only Weasley child to have inherited his father's hair. Kayla and Taylor, his nine year old sister, both had blond hair, though Taylor's was slightly strawberry-blond.

            Jeffrey motioned for his mother to leave the room as he changed. A minute later, he was running down the steps to breakfast. Once he arrived in the kitchen, he sat down at the table between his father and Taylor.

            "Hey, sport," his father said, looking up from the Quidditch results in _The Daily Prophet_.

            "Hey, Dad. Hey Taylor," he said, as he piled some toast into his plate. Taylor looked up from her book.

            "Jeffrey, how many times will I have to remind you? Call me Taylor Jane! No one uses only their first name anymore. But, I respect you choice to use simply your first name. You may soon realize, though, that no one does that anymore and that you will be labeled as "lame" at school," she turned back to her book. Taylor Jane Weasley was, without a doubt, the most like their mother: worried about what was labeled as cool and what wasn't. Always dressed imaticulately, Taylor was the most popular nine year old on their block. This popularity status, however, never fazed her. She regarded it as a "silly, psychopathic game of follow the leader". Much more mature than her nine years, she often lectured Jeffrey on everything.

Jeffrey shrugged at her remark. "Whatever, TJ. Hey Kay, hand me some jam," he held out his hand and Kayla handed it to him.

"Jeff, you really won't have time eat all that. We have to be ready and in the living room in five minutes!" His mother pointed out, looking at the stack of food on his breakfast plate.

"Watch me," Jeffrey grinned as he engulfed all six pieces of toast at once. Taylor looked disgustedly away, Kayla laughed, his father looked proud, and his mother shook her head at her husband.

"Honestly, Ron, what have you been teaching our son?!" she glared the now-empty plate in front of Jeffrey.

"Now, Lavender, really, what if it was an emergency and he had to inhale his food? Now he's prepared for...umm... when the...umm...for...when he has to leave quickly for class in the morning at Hogwarts," he said, trying to find an excuse for his influence on his son.

"RONALD! Stop teaching our son such..." Lavender Weasley was cut off as a loud crash resounded in their living room and a voice echoed through the house.

"We're here!" yelled Emily Potter from the doorway of the kitchen.


	6. To Diagon Alley!

Chapter 5- To Diagon Alley

            Holly Parker opened the letter with trembling fingers. Finally, she could go to Hogwarts, learn how to do magic, and get out of the horrible island she was on. Ever since she was little, she dreamed of moving off the island and going to live somewhere warm and sunny, like southern France. Hogwarts wasn't exactly Nice or Marseilles, but it was bound to be better than the isle of Drear. Even the name of the island was dreary!

            Holly pulled out the letter and read it hurriedly:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall 

_Dear Miss Holly Parker,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment_

_            Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Helga Von Struddle._

_(Deputy Headmistress)_

She quickly turned the page to her list of equipment and read it excitedly.

_Equipment List:_

Uniform

All first students will require:

            Four sets of plain black robes

            A pointed black hat

            Dragon-hide gloves

            A black cloak

Please label all clothes with the student's names.

Books:

            _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1_ by Miranda Goshawk

            _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot

            _Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling

            _A Beginner's guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

            _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore

            _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger

            _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander

            _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment:

            1 wand

            1 cauldron (size 2, pewter)

            1 set glass phials

            1 telescope

            1 set brass scales

Students may bring one pet (cat, rat, owl, or toad)

First-yearn students may not bring their own broomsticks!

            "Are you ready yet?" called her dad from downstairs.

            "Coming!" She hurried down into the living room. Waiting for her were Nicholas, her father, her mother, and her little sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was five years old, and her greatest dream was to work for the Daily Prophet. She too wanted to get of the island, and make friends.

            "Oops, I forgot my wand! I'll meet you in the kitchen!" Holly ran up the stairs and grabbed her wand. It was twelve inches long, and was made of wood from a mangrove tree with a single mermaid hair inside. Holly knew the mermaid who had given a hair for her wand well; she lived with her clan near the island. The hair had been given to seal a pact between her clan and the Parkers, representing the Ministry of Magic. In return, three of Holly's hairs had been given as a string for a guitar that Marine, the mermaid, carried around.

            Holly grabbed her portable Bubblehead charm, and ran down the stairs, which now led to the entrance hall. She sprinted to the protected part of the coast, put on her bubble, and dove into the freezing water. Swimming quickly to keep warm, she headed towards Marine's cave.

            Marine was floating in her cave, singing a song about the sea and playing an accompaniment on her three-stringed guitar. When she saw Holly she got up with a start and asked,

            "What's the matter Holly?"

            "I'm leaving to Diagon Alley today, and we're staying there until Nicholas and I leave for Hogwarts. I came to say goodbye."       

            "Well, good bye then."

            "Good-bye, Marine. I'll miss you." The two friends hugged.

            "You'll be fine at Hogwarts. Always remember our link through the hairs we traded. Always remember that."

            "I will, Marine." Holly swam back to shore, leaving her friend waving behind her.

            "What took you so long?" exclaimed Nicholas when she finally got to the kitchen. "We've been waiting for you three hours!"

            "We've been waiting for her ever since she was born," said Mrs. Parker softly.

            Holly smiled at her mother before glaring at her brother.

            "I had to say goodbye to Marine. Now that I'm here, let's go!"

            "Nicholas, you go first. I'll come after you. Next goes Angela with Elizabeth. Holly, you can go last, Okay?" Everyone nodded. Mr. Parker handed Nicholas the Floo powder bowl. He took a handful of the multicolored powder and threw it into the fire, which turned bright green. He stepped in and shouted "Diagon Alley" before disappearing into the flames.

            One by one the Parkers left through the fireplace, coming out at the Leaky Cauldron. They got at room for the next few weeks and entered Diagon Alley.

            They first headed towards the tall, white Gringotts building. Holly and Nicholas were looking everywhere, trying to absorb the sights around them. They rarely went to Diagon Alley, and the last time they had gone was for their eight birthday, three years ago. Everywhere there were signs advertising various goods, from cauldrons to unbreakable teacups to dragon hides and more. Old witches were haggling over dragon liver, and young wizards were trying out new racing brooms. When they finally got to Gringotts, they felt as if they had seen enough to last a lifetime.

            The Parkers got some Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts out of the bank and set out to buy their Hogwarts supplies.

            First things were their books. They stopped at Flourish and Blotts to buy all their course books. Their mom insisted on buying only one copy of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ and _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, as those were mostly reference books and they could use it at the same time. Instead, they bought _Hogwarts, A History_.

            "It's always useful to know about Hogwarts. It might at least help you find your way around if you know what can happen."

            Then they headed to Madam Malkin's robe shop. Holly and Nicholas got their Hogwarts uniform while their parents got new sets of robes. They went through the rest of the list pretty quickly. The twins got an owl as a late birthday present. Their birthdays had been two weeks earlier, on the 22nd and 23rd of July. Holly had been born a little before midnight, and Nicholas shortly after. Their other birthday presents had been their wands. They named the owl Lyra.

            The next two weeks were spent relaxing at the Leaky Cauldron, visiting Diagon Alley, or meeting new people. Mr. and Mrs. Parker had seen little of their friends since they had been assigned to studying Quintapeds on the Island. Holly and Nicholas met Matthew Helenst, a rather boisterous boy who was the son of their mother's best friend at school. A shyer girl named Abigail Bahlyn was the daughter of another one of their mother's friends from school. Their father's best friend invited them to come with him and his son, a quiet boy named Rowan Archer, to Ollivander's buy a wand.

            "You have to see Ollivander's at least once in your lifetime," was his explanation.

            Mrs. Parker and Elizabeth left them to buy some ice cream while they marched off to Ollivander's.

            The shop was dimly lighted, and hundreds of wand boxes lined the walls. A small table sat in the center of the room, and it was covered with more wand boxes. Out of the darkness in the back of the room came a smooth voice,

            "Good Morning. Welcome to Ollivander's."

            A tall, but old man with pale eyes and long fingers came out of the darkness, following the voice towards them.

            "You must be Rowan Archer. I remember when your father came to buy his wand. Dragon heartstring, mahogany. Very stiff, Wasn't it?" Mr. Archer nodded. "That was before the wand reform, when people realized that three or four types of cores didn't the variety of wizards.

            "And you, Mr. Parker. Eleven inches, unicorn hair, cherry. Swishy. Good for Charms." Mr. Ollivander moved closer to them and examined Holly and Nicholas.

            "Your mother had a very good wand. Phoenix feather, oak. Just right for enchanting objects.

            "Your father brought you here three years ago and got wands for you. Oak, dragon scale, ten and a half inches. Mermaid hair, mangrove wood, twelve inches. Those wands were made for great things, Miss and Mr. Parker. You hold great power within you."

            Suddenly Mr. Ollivander stopped his scrutinizing inspection of them and turned towards Rowan.

            "Now Mr. Archer, let's try and see if we can get you a wand. Try this one: Willow, griffin feather, 13 inches"

            Rowan had barely grabbed it before it got taken away.

            "Pine, Sea Serpent Scale, Flexible"

            "Birch, Augurey feather. Elastic"

            Rowan had tried at least twelve wands before the right match had been found.

            "Rowan wood, centaur hair, 9 and a half inches."

            As Rowan waved the wand, brown and green sparks shot out of his wand.

            "Very good! But how arcane…"

            "What's arcane?" Rowan asked slowly.

            "Few people named after a tree like you are actually get a wand made with that kind of wood. Very peculiar."

            Rowan paid for his wand (5 Galleons and 11 Sickles) and they all left.

            Holly went to bed wondering about what Mr. Ollivander had said about her wand. What made it good for great things? Was it the pact sealed within it? And did she really have great power? She went to sleep that night dreaming about having power over the weather and making England warm.


	7. Diagon Again

Chapter 6- Destination Diagon Alley 

"We're here!" I yelled from the doorway of the kitchen. The Weasley family looked like it had just been hit by a tornado (though that word has been banned from the Weasley household ever since the Tornadoes beat the Cannons at the All-Europe Cup in 1999). Mrs. Weasley seemed to have been hit by a Silencing Spell mid-sentence. Mr. Weasley had obviously been on the receiving end of one of Aunt Lavender's lectures. Jeffrey was cracking up with Kayla. Taylor was reading while drinking a glass of orange juice. I smiled. This was the Weasley family at its best.

"Um, hi!" I said as I walked into the kitchen. By then, Anna and Elise had both arrived. They were brushing off the soot from their clothes and hair.

"Hey Emmy," said Jeff as he took a large drink from his juice.

"Hi Jeff. Hey Kay, hey TJ. Morning Aunt Lav. Hi Uncle Ron!" I said nodding to each in turn. My sisters and I hugged everyone. Nina had just arrived and told us that Mom would be right over.

"Hey girls. Come here and sit down. Would you care for some toast or something?" my "aunt" asked me as she ushered me to a chair. I shook my head and thanked her.

"I've already eaten, thanks," I said as my sisters followed suit. I grabbed a chair and sat between Jeff and Taylor.

"Whatcha reading Teej?" I asked, trying to make conversation while Jeff was too busy with his juice to talk. Taylor glared at me. Taylor was always changing, so you could never really know if you had offended her.

"Emily, it's Taylor Jane! And if you MUST know, I'm reading this," she exclaimed as she showed me the cover of her book. Famous Witches in Perilous Situations.

"Sorry, _Taylor Jane_. It looks like a pretty good book. So, Jeff, didcha get your letter? Doesn't Hogwarts sound just fabulous?" I said turning to my best friend.

"Yeah, I got it yesterday. It sounds better than our old school, but it's still full of classes and there's homework..." he said, making a face. BOOM! A crash shook the house.

"Sorry I'm late everyone!" my mum said as she hugged Aunt Lavender, her best friend. "By the way, Ron, Harry can't come. He's caught up at work. They're still tracking down that Riddle girl..." she trailed off and glanced our way. She smiled and stopped talking.

"Actually, I don't think I'll be going either. I've also got to head off to the office. While you ladies take the kids shopping, some of us have to work," he said jokingly. Uncle Ron was the manager of the Chudley Cannons, the Weasley/Potter's favorite team (of course). They had actually been doing loads better since he started working with them. They had made it to the All-Europe Cup Finals and made it tenth at the World Cup. Uncle Ron worked loads, but he loved it.

"Alright. Well, we better get going then, or we won't have any time!" Aunt Lav said, checking her watch.

We all stood and walked over to the large fireplace ornating the Weasley living room. Aunt Lav went first with Kayla (who was still too young to be flooing alone), then Anna, Elise, and Nina. Taylor _Jane_ went with mum. Jeff turned to me and said, "Ladies first, Emmy." Jeff hated flooing. I gave him my best smirk and walked into the flames. "DIAGON ALLEY!"

I was greeted by a ray of blinding sunlight seeping through the open window of the Leaky Cauldron. I shielded my eyes and walked outside, waving to Tom, the now very aged owner of the pub. Everyone was waiting for me outside of Flourish and Blotts. Only mum was missing and Elise informed me that she was having a cup of coffee with her good friend Lynn Spencer. Madison and Lindsay, the two youngest Spencer girls, would stay with us while we shopped. Madison and I were the same age and we had grown to be friends. Not _best_ friends, like Jeff and I were, but on decent terms. As for Lindsay, she was a year younger than me, and was a class A brat in my humble opinion. I was very glad Taylor was there to keep her occupied and far away from me. If anyone could take Lindsay, it was Taylor.

The day went by without a hitch. We spent the morning buying our books, quills, and potion supplies. It was obvious to see that school was around the corner; the streets, not to mention the stores, were jam-packed. We had a quick lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and a Fortescue ice cream for dessert.

After we had all exited the ice-cream parlor, we separated into three groups. Anna, Elise, Rachel, and Allison would take the three littler girls (Kayla, Taylor, and Lindsay) for some dress robe shopping (for my sisters of course. They were always off at parties and balls.) while Maddie, Jeff, and I went to get our wands. Our mums had decided to go off to _Kilia's_, the biggest store on Diagon Alley. Our little trio walked over to Ollivander's and had to wait in line behind two blond-haired kids and a brown haired one who looked about our age. When they left, we entered and voted Maddie to go first. She approached the wizened old man behind the counter who promptly exclaimed,

"Ms. Spencer, welcome. Eleven years old already. Why, I remember you being in here as just a baby when your older sister was buying her wand. Palm, centaur hair, nine inches. Your mother, however, I don't remember..."

"My mother bought her wand in Salem, Oregon. She's American, you see," Madison explained.

"I see...Well, let's not dwell in the past. How about you Miss Spencer? Let's try this one," Mr. Ollivander said, holding out a wand to her. It was snatched out of her hands immediately and replaced with another and another until about ten wands had been tried.

"This one, Miss Spencer. Now, wave it..." She did. Mauve sparks flew out and singed Mr. Ollivander's remaining hair. I do believe that I broke three of my ribs trying to keep from laughing. The shop owner huffed and hurriedly put it out.

"Well, I do believe this is yours, Miss. Ebony, Chimaera tooth, 11 ½ inches. Very fine wand, yes indeed."

I went next and only tried out two before finding the right one: Redwood, Diricawl Feather, 14 ½ in.

As for Jeff, he took longer than Maddie and I put together. He tried out about twenty, and I do believe that even Mr. Ollivander was starting to get discouraged. By the end, though, he found a 9 ¼ inch wand made of Hickory and Niffler hair. We thanked Mr.Ollivander and left the shop.

We made our way back to the other two groups, said our goodbyes, and all three families went their separate ways, promising to owl each other before the beginning of school.


	8. The Train

Chapter 7 - The Train

"Are you ready to go through the barrier? Remember, just run at it," said Mrs. Parker.

"Nicholas, you go first."

Nicholas lined up the cart with the barrier and started to run at it. Just when he thought he was about to hit it and get hurt, the crimson Hogwarts Express appeared before him. All around him were students chatting about their various summers.

"Wow," he said as Holly appeared next to him. They stood there a few more minutes while their parents arrived before going off to find a compartment.

There were a few empty compartments at the end. They chose one and got settled into it.

"The train is leaving in five minutes. We're going to go now before the crowd gets too big. We have to say goodbye," said Mr. Parker.

"I can't believe you two are already going to Hogwarts. And in a few years, you will too, Elizabeth," said Mrs. Parker.

Nicholas and Holly hugged their parents goodbye and promised to owl them as often as they could. When they were gone, and the train had started off Holly exclaimed,

"I can't believe we are actually leaving for Hogwarts! I have been waiting for this moment all my life!"

Nicholas nodded, looking out the window. For all he wanted to go to Hogwarts, he would miss the Isle of Drear and his family. No matter what Holly said with her talks of finally returning to the mainland, he knew the Isle would always be home for him.

Holly noticed that Nicholas wasn't paying attention to her rantings about Hogwarts and told him,

"Nicholas, don't be sad about leaving home. We all have to do that sometime. Anyway, well be going back for Christmas and Easter breaks. And after that, we're staying home during the whole summer. Now let's go and find our friends."

As if on cue, someone knocked at the door at that very moment. Holly slowly opened it, revealing a rather tall boy with carrot-colored hair and chocolate-brown eyes. He moved aside to reveal a girl with long black hair and bright green eyes. They looked somewhat familiar.

"Hi, I'm Emily..." said the girl, smiling. "Wait, you look familiar... Parker, right? Nicholas, and Holly?"

The twins nodded.

"Emily Potter? And Jeffrey Weasley? It's nice to see you again." said Holly politely.

"We were looking for a compartment to sit in," said Emily, twitching her head in impatience. "All the others are full."

"Well..." Holly looked at Nicholas, who ignored her, watching the green countryside streaming past them. Hogwarts was said to be in Scotland, so maybe it wouldn't be too much unlike home.

"You can sit here," Nicholas said brusquely. He had to stop thinking of the island. Hogwarts was his future, his home for most of the next seven years. He had to get used to it. "How have you been? Since we left, I mean."

"Well, actually, I have to tell you, we've been looking for you. You remember that horrid girl Sasha Malfoy? Well, she said that you two would support neither her father nor my father. That's not true, is it? You're not going to support a servant of the Dark Lord Voldemort, are you?" Emily sounded like a true recruiter.

"Umm..." What was this all about? Sasha's and Emily's childhood rivalry had gone as far as to have them compete for followers? Why them? "Why us? Why are you trying to gain _our_ support?"

Emily looked worried. She exchanged glances with Jeffrey before he said,

"We don't know. But our fathers all told us that you were important to have on our side. Probably something about your parents's research." There was a knock on the door. Both Emily and Jeffrey jumped. Emily walked towards it muttering under her breath,

"If it's Sasha I'll kill her." or something like that. It turned out to be the food seller, and the kids each bought piles of their favorite sweets. Nicholas liked pumpkin pastries, and he grabbed for the last one when someone got it just before him.

"You have to be quick if you want the reward," teased Emily, waving the pumpkin pastry in front of him, smiling. Nicholas smiled back and tried to catch the orange package. Every time, Emily managed to pull it out of the way just in time. After a while they collapsed on the floor laughing.

"You're so quick. I usually win at that kind of thing." gasped Nicholas.

"My father always called me Windfingers. I used to snatch his papers away from him if he worked too much. But now he hasn't been back home in such a long time. He sends letters, but it's not the same..." Emily smile had faded. "He's always off hunting some criminal or another. Sometimes I wish he wasn't and Auror but something more boring, like Aunt Hermione. She's an accountant." She grimaced.

"Dad said Aunt Hermione once was an Auror," injected Jeffrey. "He said they all were Aurors together, him and Hermione and Uncle Harry, traveling all around the world. But then Mom got pregnant and your mom got pregnant, so they had to stop."

"That's not true. How could Mom get pregnant if Dad was traveling around the world?" said Emily, laughing.

"Well..." everybody started laughing.

Maybe Hogwarts wasn't going to be so bad after all.

The train was almost to Hogwarts and the kids were changing into their robes when there was a knock at the door. Holly opened it to reveal a girl with brown eyes and auburn hair. Nicholas almost didn't recognize her.

"Sasha Malfoy? What happened to your hair?" Exclaimed Holly. Sasha's hair had been her father's pale blond the last time they had seen her. Even Emily looked shocked.

"I dyed it. Holly, right? And Nicholas. I came to talk to you, but I see Emily got to you first. I just wanted to tell you that sometimes people change. And that parents don't always make the child. I've come to ask for a truce, Emily."

This time Emily's jaw dropped.

"What! You're a _Malfoy_! Malfoys don't offer truces to Potters!" Emily look completely shocked. It was as if someone had done the impossible, had made pigs fly or had turned straw into golden thread.

"Yes, you hadn't expected this." Sasha laughed. "A truce would be the last thing my sister would offer, or my mother. I really meant it, Emily. I'm tired of this rivalry. My sister hates me, so who best to become friends with but those she hates?" She turned to leave. "Oh, and by the way, avoid Sophia and my mother. They're horrid." Sasha grimaced as she disappeared the way she had come.

Emily still looked dumbfounded.

"How could she do this? It defies her family, her honor. And dying her hair! The Malfoys are very proud of their hair. She must be trying to trick me! There's no other way she would have done that. But what does she want...?"

"Emily, are you sure about this? She seemed pretty sincere to me," Holly looked confused as well. "Sasha and Sophia never liked each other. Her words sounded true."

"Malfoys can lie like snakes," Jeffrey said in complete seriousness.

"You should -" The train screeched to a halt before Nicholas could offer his opinion. They all walked solemnly out of the train, Emily and Jeffery trying to puzzle out Sasha's intentions together, the twins astounded by the others's certainty that Sasha was lying.

"How could their rivalry grow so much?" mused Nicholas as they stepped out of the train.

Outside, the dark station was lit by a multitude of lanterns floating overhead. Most of the students were heading right, towards a dirt road on which stood what Nicholas could distinguish as a multitude of horseless carriages. He started walking that way before a loud voice called them back.

"First-years, over here. This way, first-years." The speaker was a middle-aged woman in sky-blue robes. Her gray-streaked blond hair was pulled back in a braid. As all the first years gathered around her, she stomped her feet in impatience at having to wait in the cold. Emily pulled her cloak around her, but Nicholas left his as it was. The weather was colder than this on the Isle, even in summer.

The woman led them off, saying,

"I am Professor Von Struddle, the Assistant Headmistress and Transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts. I trust that you have had an adequate trip. We will be taking boats across the lake to get to Hogwarts." Her words were quick and crisp, as if she couldn't wait to stop talking.

When they reached the lakeshore, they finally saw Hogwarts castle.

It was amazing. The castle towered over them, ablaze with lights from every window, Hogwarts had many towers and turrets sticking out every which way like chimney stacks, but it dominated the setting majestically,

The boats were small, fitting only four people, so the twins jumped in after Emily and Jeffrey. The boats started off on their own. Emily started excitedly,

"We know what she wants!"

"Who?"

"Sasha, you nimwitt!" Emily became solemn. "She wants _you_."

"Us?"

"_Remember_? Our parents all sent us to get you. We got there first, so she offered us a truce so she could get you anyway!" Emily looked proud of her deduction.

"But if she wanted us, why didn't she come earlier? Before we got to know each other. If it was a race, why did she take so long to come?" Holly looked as unconvinced as Nicholas felt.

"Malfoys don't always make sense. The only thing that you know for sure about them is that there out to trick you." said Jeffrey with absolute sincerity. Emily nodded along.

"Duck!" The boats approached a cliff face covered in vines, and the students ducked as the boats slid smoothly through the ivy. They reached a small harbor of pebbles that led to a massive oak door. Professor Von Struddle pushed through the whispering students and knock on the solid door.


	9. The Sorting

Chapter 8 - The Sorting

The door creaked open to reveal an entrance hall whose top was hidden in darkness, even though torches were hung every few feet on the wall. Professor Von Struddle led them to a small chamber off the main hall and told them,

"I can finally say, welcome to Hogwarts. Soon you will go to the start of term feast, but first you must be Sorted into your houses. Your house will be like your family during your years at Hogwarts. You will go to classes together, and sleep and eat together. The four houses are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. Each have their own history and wizards. As I am the head of Ravenclaw, I hope there are many potential Ravenclaws among you, but I'm afraid the final choice of house depends on what's inside. I will return when we are ready." And she turned and strode out into the dining hall.

"I'll bet I'm going to be a Gryffindor." Emily declared loudly after she was gone. "My father was a Gryffindor, and so was my mom, and so were my grandparents and most of my other relatives."

From the corner of the room in which she sat with her cronies, Sophia chuckled,

"You Gryffindors are always overproud of what everyone knows you have." And with this she stood and glided to the front of the room where Professor Von Struddle had stood. "And what do you say about me? 'She's obviously going to _Slytherin_, that snotty brat'? '_Slytherin_ is where all the dark wizards go, she's obviously going _there_'? I mock your taunts!"

Emily blushed. She opened her mouth, then closed it when Jeffrey whispered something in her ear. Instead Jeffrey spoke,

"I apologize for our hateful comments."

At that moment Professor Von Struddle entered the room.

"Form a line and follow me."

Nicholas got into line behind Holly, in front of a pale boy he remembered as Alexander Baylocq. Alexander had been picky about people calling him Alex, he remembered.

The great Hall was even larger than the entrance hall. The top was filled with glittering stars. Nicholas heard Jeffrey laugh in front of him,

" 'It's bewitched to look like the sky outside.' I'll never forget Aunt Hermione lecturing to us about _Hogwarts: A History_."

Underneath the fake sky, thousands of candles hung in midair, illuminating the room. Four long tables were aligned across the room, set with golden plates and goblets. All the older students were watching them go by from the tables. Professor Von Struddle led them in between the students and the teacher's table. A small stool stood in front of them, and on it was a tattered, patched, ripped, and ancient hat. Suddenly, the brim opened up and the hat began to sing:

_My brim is black_

_My cone is tall_

_Brains I do not lack at all._

_Four houses there are_

_Come enter their door_

_Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor. _

_In Gryffindor where dwell the brave_

_Friendship and courage are needed here_

_Only you can endure your fear._

_Hufflepuff where lie the true_

_Always loyal to their fellow_

_In the colors of black and yellow._

_In the hues of bronze and blue_

_Ravenclaws hold ready minds_

_To their many exploitful finds._

_Sharp of wit and tongue_

_The Slytherins search for power_

_To conquer the world when comes the hour. _

_So put me on, I do not bite_

_To find which house you will remain_

_Until the Crystals begin to rain._

_Until the Crystals begin to rain._

Everyone applauded. Professor Von Struddle stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name , you will put on the hat and get sorted. Afzal, Olga!"

One of Sasha's companions went to the stool and sat on it. She had barely swept the hat on her head that it shouted out,

"SLYTHERIN!" Olga smiled and walked to the Slytherin table, full of cheering students.

"Amincy, Lauren!" The diminutive girl scampered to the stool. She put on the hat, and shortly after, it yelled,

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Lauren beamed and walked to the cheering table on the far left.

"Archer, Rowan!" Nicholas's old friend walked slowly to the hat, and settled it over his head. He remained there for a few minutes before the hat shouted,

"RAVENCLAW!" Rowan marched decidedly to the table to the right of the Hufflepuff table.

"Bahlyn, Abigail!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Abigail laughed as she joined Lauren at the Hufflepuff table.

The Sorting went on as expected. Emily guessed every person's house _before_ they got sorted.

"Luke Bezell is a Slytherin, he's friends with Sasha. The Carment twins are Ravenclaws, obviously."

"Darrow, Katherine" became the first Gryffindor, and the table on the far right exploded with cheers.

Slowly, people filed by, but Nicholas noticed something strange. After Hibiscus and Jasmine Carment, Carlotta and Jessica Holmer were the second pair of twins to be sorted. And a while after them came Grace and Hope Kaleen. Adding him and Holly, and Sasha and Sophia, that made at least five pairs of twins!

"Emily, aren't there a lot of twins?"

"Yes. Good you noticed. Supposedly it means that chaos and danger are coming, according to Mom. The twins are a sign of change and disruption. Maybe that's why Dad said to look for you..." Emily started frowning into the distance. Nicholas was about to ask her more, when Jeffrey said,

"Don't talk to her. That expression means she's onto something important."

And it was almost the Malfoys's turn. As Anna Maibach strode toward the Ravenclaw table, Sasha stood, grinning.

"Malfoy, Sasha!" She walked swaggeringly to the stool, picked up the hat, and shoved it on her head. Looking straight at Emily, she smiled and waited. After almost a minute of silence, the hat exploded with,

"RAVENCLAW!" Emily jerked out of her reverie and gasped audibly. Sophia's reaction was more violent. She glided to her sister and slapped her full-handed on her cheek. Sasha sat down hard and whimpered in pain. Sophia was about to kick her when the teachers got there and pulled Sophia off her sister forcefully and made her sit on the stool and wear the hat. The hat sat on Sophia's head half a minute, and Sophia gaped at what she could hear inside the hat. Once the hat had screamed,

"SLYTHERIN!" Sophia stormed to the table and sulked there, surrounded by her worried friends.

The hall had quieted after that incident, and almost no one cheered as "Mark, Eric" got sorted into Hufflepuff. Pure silence greeted the sorting of "Matteauer, Alexandria," one of Sasha's friends, "Mikelevitch, Hansen", and "Mikelevitch, Igor," two of Sophia's cronies, into Slytherin. Nicholas saw Alexandria bend over and talk hurriedly to Sasha from the Slytherin table.

But soon enough, Professor Von Struddle got to,

"Parker, Holly!"

Holly slowly stepped to the stool holding the hat. She was very nervous. How could she fit into any house? She wasn't brave, or loyal, or cunning, or very smart, either. The walk to the stool lasted too little time. As she sat down and slipped the hat over her head, she felt as if her end had come.

"Hmmm," said a voice somewhere over her head. "Another twin, eh? But your are important. Very important. You have the spirit of the river in you. Yes, I see intelligence, and hidden courage. Maybe Ravenclaw would fit you. But- no- Yes, yes I see. There's only one place in which you can accomplish your mission, only one place in which your skills can fully bloom. Your courage to bend will help you in GRYFFINDOR!"

Holly stumbled to the cheering table. What had just happened? What was "the spirit of the river". But Holly had to stop thinking about her cryptic message, for Nicholas had sat down on the stool.

Nicholas was glad his sister had been sorted into Gryffindor, but he now worried about himself. He hoped to get into Gryffindor, but he felt that he might get into Slytherin. Wanting to prove yourself was a whole lot like wanting power. As the hat slipped over his dark eyes, he heard a voice over his eyes,

"Oooooh. The second twin, the ember. You have great heat awakening in you. I see courage to prove your strength. Slytherin, or Gryffindor will fit. But you will need that courage, and it must grow to complete your task. Yes, white squire, you must be in GRYFFINDOR!"

Nicholas sighed in relief as he ran to the Gryffindor table. As he sat down next to Holly, she started saying something about spirits and rivers, but after Arianna Ponteri was quickly sorted into Slytherin, it was Emily's turn.

Emily smiled smugly as she marched to the stool, but inside she was a little worried. How had Sasha managed to get sorted into Ravenclaw? She was a _Malfoy_! Maybe her truce was real after all? But as she shoved the hat on her head, all thoughts of Sasha disappeared when a small voice resounded above her ears.

"So, you are the last of the Potter children. But you have a strength in you, the spirit of the wind. Winds blow bravely, to go where they are not welcome. I see the courage to travel with the wind in you. You must go in GRYFFINDOR!"

Emily had always known that she would be in Gryffindor, but the Hat's words mystified her. She had the spirit of the wind, did she? When she sat down next to the sandy-haired twins, they were talking about spirits, too. Emily contributed her spirit and they became so deep in conversation they missed all of the Sorting until it was Jeffrey's turn.

Jeffrey strode to the stool, ready to be sorted in Hufflepuff. His parents would be sorely disappointed, but loyalty to Emily was the only thing he had. He wasn't brave or cunning, and not very intelligent. He pulled on the hat and a voice spoke above his nose.

"It is you, the last spirit, the spirit of the soil. you are loyal and steadfast, I see. But your are ready to surrender to being in Hufflepuff, ready to be humiliated? You have courage, you see. Courage to hold, courage to be prone. That courage will get you far, dirt spirit. Always remember, dirt may seem plain, but it holds treasure inside. GRYFFINDOR!"

Jeffrey sighed in relief. He would be able to stay with his friends, and with the girl he had sworn to protect, always.


End file.
